4.6 Reunion Under Foreign Skies
Albert showed himself as the group made their final preparations to depart. Sajaina stayed back with him as they gathered themselves around the primal stone from the Voidspawn world, calling upon its connection to that place to fuel the teleportation. They held tight to their stockpiled water as the world bent around them, catapulting them through the twisting corridors of space to deposit them upon the barren hellscape; a shadow world to Tirisea's light. The wasteland of jagged crystals and unbearable heat stretched on for many miles, the twisted distance making mockery of their attempts to cross it into the mountains. Each minute seemed to carry them such a tiny distance, the mountains never appearing any closer. The party desperately tried to stay cool, sloshing down water much faster than they expected under the brutal sun. Timmeron wove spells of shadow and reflection, trying to keep the sun at bay but to little avail. Eventually, Travize took the shape of a large shadow creature to shield the party from the terrible light. They contacted Ulag through telepathy, urged by him to find shelter immediately. The open ground would offer them little but death after twilight faded, and there would be far too many Voidspawn to fight. He promised to meet them at the mountains. Baygrith fired up his portal machine, managing to correctly calibrate the mechanics despite the anomalies common to this plane, landing hem near enough the mountains that they were able to take shelter under an illusory mound crafted by Sal. They contacted Ulag again, giving him landmarks to work with to help them navigate. After a brief respit, they head out, following Ulag's directions in hopes of meeting him and the children stranded here far too long ago. Their path took them through a pack of Voidspawn they were unable to avoid, leading to a fight for their lives as they worked frantically to stop any of them from getting away to warn their brethren. One escaped, however, fleeing effortlessly over hills and cliffs that gave the party no end of trouble. But just as it was passing from sight, Ulag and Evie struck from the shadows, killing the thing instantly. They approached the party, bearing in their eye a haunted gleam born of feasting on the sickening flesh of Voidspawn, and living every day under the threat of death. They had done what needed doing to survive and it had changed them. They had grown up in many ways, but none would say they were the better for the experience. Along the way, however, the far flung forsaken had found the aid of allies- people who dwelt within that horrid world who hated the Voidspawn as much as any Tirisean. They offered food and lodging in exchange for service, and though one group demanded a price Ulag was unwilling to make any of the children pay, they were eventually taken in as family by a group of Leonid people called the Hostana It was to these people that Ulag and the kids lead the party, all the while coaxing them to avoid flashy displays of power that would attract attention. Despite these warning the party's earlier use of tactics against the Voidspawn ambushing them in the mountains attracted another hunting party which they were forced to fend off before they could make their way more stealthily to the Hostana camp. The camp itself turned out to be beneath a hidden passage, deep underground. But the party was not welcomed as warmly as Ulag an the kids were. They needed to be tested and understood- the Hostana did not like strangers. One of them invoked a spell of understanding using magic reminiscent of the sigils of Bartos to allow them all to speak the same language, though only while in the sigil's glow. Speak they did, though the topic soon became surprising. The Hostana were sympathetic to any attempt to beat back the Voidspwn (Kailatos, in their tongue)- though they cautioned that the Kailatos helped to keep in check the Vuul, who were of similar stock, but individually sentient. However, they found themselves much more worried over a looming threat of even greater magnitude foretold by a prophet of their people. It was said that a powerful being of law would come to end the world. The revelation shook the party slightly, for until that point they had assumed themselves among a very small number of people assured that such a danger even existed. But the surprises did not stop there. The Hostana also knew of a person with knowledge that could help win such a fight, but he was imprisoned by the Vuul. The party found themselves in desperate need of a dual plan. They had most of all to complete their original objective, which was to lure the king and queen Void Spawn back to their own world, then trap them there with the Archivist's power. But they also needed any information they could get about the prophecy of coming doom and any tools that might be used against it. A plan was hatched, one which would might draw the Vuul and Voidspawn both into a confrontation with each other, simultaneously calling back the Voidspawn leadership to defend their ilk and also lessoning the ddefenses around the Vuul stronghold. They would bomb the Voidspawn hatcheries, stunting their reproduction for a time and simultaneously offering the Vuul a fighting advantage they could not resist. That would not be the end of the dangers, though. The Hostana also told them of the five Dread Lords of the Vuul, who would almost certainly remain at the citadel. When together, they improved each other's defenses, rendering each other almost unkillable. It was them, naturally, the party would need to overcome to rescue their prisoner and escape with his information. Sttling down to rest and refine their plan, the party once again readied for a dawn that would bring carnage and blood, even if it was under a foreign sky. Category:Quests